North Dakota Protect Your Pup From A New Mysterious Illness

Pay extra attention to your dog over the holidays, as pet owners are reporting a mysterious illness that is impacting dogs in 10 states across the country.

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According to NBC Chicago, dogs are getting sick with a mysterious respiratory illness, and if you notice that your dog has developed any of the following symptoms, take them to the vet.

"The pneumonia-like illness, TODAY reported, starts as a cough and gradually worsens, with the illness also being resistant to antibiotics. According to officials, dogs are most likely to contract the illness by coming into contact with other dogs, with places such as dog parks, kennels and groomers posing a larger risk...In addition to coughing, sneezing, discharge from the eyes or nose, trouble breathing and fatigue have also been observed, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. "

The ten states that have recorded the illness are Illinois, Oregon, Colorado, New Hampshire, Indiana, Washington, Idaho, California, Georgia, and Florida. Which means whatever illness this is, it has already spread throughout the nation, and there may be undiagnosed cases in other states already.

Officials with the Oregon Department of Agriculture said that the cases they have observed have fallen into one of the following three categories:

• Chronic mild-moderate tracheobronchitis with a prolonged duration (6–8 weeks or longer) that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics
• Chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics
• Acute pneumonia rapidly becomes severe and often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24–36 hours.

Dog owners are advised to contact their veterinarian before exposing their dogs to an environment with multiple other dogs.

With an unknown illness such as this one, you should keep your dog safe by limiting their exposure to other dogs, which may throw a monkey wrench into your holiday plans. The disease may also be contracted and spread through kennels, so you may want to take a pause before boarding Fido while you gallivant to Turks and Caicos.

Here is hoping everyone in North Dakota can keep their furry ones safe and happy this holiday season.